Always Dead
by SiSSlRi
Summary: Cato has been trained for this since his birth! It's his destiny to volunteer and win the 74th Hunger Games. And he is determined to succeed. But his brutal&merciless facade can't hide his worries and issues. Will the pressure his family puts upon him be so strong that it breaks him apart? (First book out of Cato's point of view!Clove Cato)(Rated M for brutality&language!)


**Yep! First Chapter of my Hunger Games-Fanfiction!  
I just really really love Cato! I think he was completely misunderstood. This is why I decided to write the Games out of his point of view! ****  
Hope you'll enjoy it! ;)**

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**District 2: Reaping Day**

_**8:00 a.m.**_

"Cato-Sweety! Wake up! It's your big day today." I hear my mother swing the curtains in front of my bedroom-windows open. I growl a bit but then it hits me.  
Today is Reaping Day!  
The day that will change everything for me. I will stop being just a regular District 2-Boy and I will rise and shine as a tribute and then after the Games I'll be a VICTOR and live in Victor's Village with more money and food than anyone could possibly need.  
It's not as if my family is poor or something.  
We already have more than most of the people around Panem. At least that's what I was told by my family. I mean we live in Victor's Village due to my father winning the Games when he was 16 years old.  
And winning the Hunger Games also means that you gain glory for the rest of your life.  
And…living on my own in a huge house sounds pretty awesome, too.  
"Come on, my son! You have to get up. The men want to talk to you." My mom sits next to me.  
As much as she loves to be honorable and as proud as she is of me, I know that she is also worried. I seriously don't understand why!  
I mean I've been trained for this since I made my first step.  
Most of my friends at school got toys for their first birthday.  
I got miniature swords and axes so that I could train even better.  
It's an honor for my family to volunteer for the Games.  
My grandfather was the first in our family to volunteer and win.  
My father, his brother and sister (even though the last two didn't make it) followed.  
And now it's me and my siblings who have to bring even more fortune to our family.  
Two of my brothers already succeeded and live with their new little families in huge mansions.  
It's my turn now and my only sister will be next.  
It's kind of a tradition of ours to volunteer at some point if we aren't reaped.  
My eldest brother Junius waited until he was 18 to volunteer and Nero was reaped at the age of 16.  
Damn they put up great shows.  
I remember Nero slitting up the throat of the District 4 Male Tribute, who was his final opponent. He used a branch! An old splintered branch from a giant tree that stupid guy was sleeping on.  
I can recall the images in my head as if I've been there myself.  
But as amazing as their shows were…I'll beat them!  
I will put on the best show ever.  
I will kill more tributes than any other and I'll have double as much fun.

_Okay…time to get up or Dad and Grandpa get mad…_  
I climb out of my huge bed and walk into my adjoining bathroom.  
_Just a quick shower. I'll clean myself completely when it's time to get ready for the Reaping._  
I put on dark jeans and a grey t-shirt and leave to meet up with the other men of my family in my father's office.

_**8.30 a.m.**_

Everyone's head turn as I walk into the room.  
"My son!" my father beams. He seems so happy and I can't help it but smile along with him.  
This is going to be the time of my life.  
"I am so proud that we will soon introduce you to the Circle of Men. You will follow into your brother's steps and into mine and into your grandfathers.  
You will be a full-valued member of our family when you return from your Games. We all could not be more excited about that."  
"Thanks, father." I say firmly.  
"But I need to know whether you are aware of all the other things that will happen after you win. Do you know what 'being a full-valued member of the Circle of Men' means?"  
"I think I do. But I'm not sure." I admit. _What the hell is he talking about?_  
My grandfather rises from the couch he was sitting on and gives my father a look that definitely means that he will take over this conversation.  
"Cato, boy…" Grandpa's dark and raspy voice echoes through the room. In some way he always reminds me of President Snow. With his white hair and the long white beard and not to forget this voice. It makes me shiver everytime I talk to my father's father.  
I just really hope that my voice will, at some point in my life, sound just like his.  
Really really intimidating!  
"Your father and I will organize the next big event in your life while you'll be in the arena."  
"And what kind of event is that?" I ask even more confused.  
"Your wedding!"  
"My…what?!" I am shocked. _Did he really just say wedding?_  
"You have to marry a proper young woman when you come home! Your father and I have already set eyes on a really pretty and nice girl. We will talk things over with her parents as soon as you leave." My grandfather smiles as if he just told me the greatest thing in the whole wide world.  
_Being a Tribute at this year's Hunger Games: __**YES!**__  
Pulling of the best show ever: __**YES!**__  
Winning that damn thing by killing everyone around me: __**YES!**__  
Coming home and being the best son my father could ask for: __**YES!**__  
Marrying some girl I don't even really know: __**Not quite what I want to do!  
**_But I can't seriously tell them that I don't want what they've decided for me.  
They are my family…they know best!  
I'm sure I'll probably like her. My dad knows what kind of girls I like.  
I mean he has seen the girls I hang around with when I'm not training.  
Because I definitely know how to make girls like/want me.  
I'm not just strong as hell but also amazingly handsome.  
What can I say? It's a gift!  
"Did you understand what I just told you, my boy?" My grandpa asks and looks me straight into my eyes.  
"Yes, Sir." I say in the same way I talk to my father.  
"Good. We did the same for your brothers. And now look at how happy they are with their wives." My father butts in.  
My grandfather laughs: "But I don't think that we will find a girl who is more exquisite than Terra. She and Junius are the most perfect couple I have ever laid my eyes on.  
Well…except for you and Demetria, my dear son. You are splendid."  
My father laughs slightly.  
I feel misplaced. I thought this conversation was about me!  
And here they are…talking about how perfect my brother and his wife are…!  
They and their two perfect little baby boys.  
It's not that I hate my brothers. I hold a lot of respect for them. But they are just so…so damn perfect!  
Okay I am as well but it doesn't seem as if anyone notices that.  
Except for my mother. I've always been her favorite.  
Even after she gave birth to Freyja, my little sister.  
My mother always knew how special I am! And all the others will know as well when they see me on TV.  
"You can leave now, Cato. Have something for breakfast and then start to get ready for Reaping Day." My father instructs me.  
I shake his and my grandpa's hands before I do so.

_**12:00 a.m.**_

I'm standing straight in line with all the other 18 years old boys.  
I get a bit nervous…at least that's how I explain my shaking fingers and tingling feet.  
Brutus and Enobaria had just entered the stage. They were our mentors.  
My brothers declined the opportunity to mentor the new tributes because they want to use the rest of their lives to produce new Tributes! Well…new Killing Machines.  
My nephews and nieces are already training like hell to win the Games in the future.  
That's probably also how my children will spend their childhood.  
Enobaria steps behind the microphone and smiles down at us.  
We all start to cheer as she begins to talk: "HELLO YOUTH OF DISTRICT 2! HOW ARE YOU?!"  
We all scream cheerfully.  
"That's what we want to hear!" Brutus says laughingly.  
"Are you ready to find out who will represent our District at the 74th Hunger Games?" Enobaria says in her chirping voice which doesn't fit her fang-like teeth. She's totally my idol! I mean ripping someone's throat out…with your own teeth! That's just the work of a genius!  
A loud "Yeah!" echoes through the midday-air.  
"We have a special little video before we start. Just for you from the Capitol!"  
And the same video as always is shown: President Snow talking about how the revolution against the Capitol changes everything. How District 13 (those fuckheads!) were destroyed. And how the Hunger Games started.  
I can mouth every single word of it! But today…this little film sends shivers down my spine!  
Because this time I'll be that boy in the video that will win and gain a lot of fortunes.  
I can't wait! I'm more than ready! Start the Reaping you damn idiots!  
The sooner I can start fighting the better!  
The video ends and Enobaria grins and shows her spiky teeth again.  
"Well let's start! Ladies first!" She strides towards the female-Reaping bowl.  
Wow…I never thought about who would be my female District 2 opponent.  
I wonder if a girl I know will volunteer. It's highly doubtable.  
District 2 is huge and we are separated into several Villages and hardly ever see someone of the other villages. So I almost only know girls from Victors Village and the two villages near us.  
And for the record: There was no female volunteer since at least 5 years.  
Enobaria puts her hand into the bowl, fishes around a bit and then pulls it out with a little slice of paper in her hand.  
She walks back to the mic and unfolds the paper.  
"KALI ELEDIN!"  
A short blond girl begins to walk forward. She's 12 maybe 13. She has like no chance.  
"I VOLUNTEER!" A brown haired girl farther away shouts before Kali Eledin is even out of her group of same-aged-girls.  
"YES!" Enobaria shouts happily. "Finally a Girl-Tribute again! Come up here, Sweety!"  
The girl makes her way towards the stage. She is climbing up the stairs and now I notice who she is!  
It's Clove! She is also from Victors Village.  
Her father won the Games two years after my father and her mother is the victor of the Games the year after that.  
We sometimes hang around each other and we always eat lunch together at school.  
She's pretty cool and beautiful.  
Her long hair is curled and she wears quite a lot of make up today.  
Her long white dress shows how tanned her skin is.  
She looks marvelous.  
"What's your name, honey?" Enobaria asks her after Clove reaches her.  
"Clove Fairdown!" She says while smiling brightly.  
"And how old are you, Clove?"  
"I'm 15!"  
"Well that's not that old."  
"Maybe. But I'm still stronger, faster and better than anyone else." Clove says cheekily.  
"I'm sure you are." Enobaria laughs. "Brutus? Will you please tell us who the Male-Tribute will be?!"  
Brutus puts his hand in the boys-Reaping bowl and goes back to the microphone with a little paper in his hand.  
"The male Tribute for District 2 is…"  
_Cato Galloway! Cato Galloway! Cato Galloway! Cato Galloway!  
_No matter which name is on that paper the Tribute will be _Cato Galloway!_  
"ELOY MOSSLAKE!" Brutus shouts.

_**12:45 a.m.**_

"I VOLUNTEER A TRIBUTE!" I shout before Eloy Mosslake can even move a feet or anyone else can say a thing.  
"No surprise!" A boy from my group shouts back.  
It's Kateb. He's probably my only real friend. We've always been together.  
We even trained together as toddlers.  
His father and mine are also best friends and his elder sister Yelena is married to my brother Nero.  
"Come here, boy!" Brutus tells me.  
I march up the stairs.  
"What's your name?" He places one of his giant hands on my right shoulder. But I can't help but notice that I'm actually taller than him.  
"I'm Cato Galloway! And your new Victor!" I say pertly.  
Everyone laughs. Even Clove. She smiles at me. It's for sure that we will team up and stay friends until it's possibly just her and me left.  
"And how old are you, new Victor?"  
"I'm 18!"  
"Well seems as if we've got some feisty Tributes here."  
_Feisty?_ God! I hate this word.  
_Brutal! Strong! Polemic! _These are okay…but feisty? That just sounds like two little 8-year-old kids.  
Clove and I are told to shake hands. But instead of that we give each other a quick hug and then start to laugh.  
"Looks like District 2 is going to win, again!" I whisper to her.  
"Yeah looks like it." She breathes back.  
That's when we are lead into the Justice Building by two Peacekeepers along with Brutus and Enobaria.  
Let the 74th Hunger Games begin, bitches!

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**Well that's it! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!  
And pleeeease leave some feedback! I want to know whether I should continue with this or not ;)**

**xoxoRina**

**PS: Reviews&Favorites make me reaaally happy!  
**


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